It is sometimes necessary to physically restrain patients in order to prevent them from falling or from otherwise hurting themselves or others. Physical restraint may be recommended, for example, for patients having dementia or certain other neurological disorders. In the past, such patients were typically restrained with straps or vests. Such restraints, however, can be uncomfortable for the patient and unnecessarily restraining.
An alternative to using physical restraints involves the use of a bed enclosure that restricts egress from a bed. Bed enclosures can provide space for a patient to move his or her limbs freely but prevent unsupervised movement out of the bed. Thus, bed enclosures provide a more humane, safe, and less restrictive environment for a patient.